


A Dragon's Heart

by HinataKaede



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:31:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7162514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HinataKaede/pseuds/HinataKaede
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Eugene and Rapunzel's wedding closing in, he former thief is having nightmares. This leads him to meet Hiccup- a young Viking who prefers adventure with his dragon over everything else. the boys become fast friends, and soon the two become inseparable... and Hiccup begins to fall while Eugene is haunted by the decisions he has made. Is this the beginning of a forbidden romance? Or will everything come crumbling down around them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a fanvideo on Youtube that had many character pairings... but this one pairing (Flynn/Hiccup) stood out to me. The story is all original, and more or less a giant experiment. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

Chapter 1

 

            _Soaring through the skies; feeling the strong muscles underneath his body as he flew through airy clouds and wisps of light pink fuzz. His heart was racing as he felt the familiar plunge. Down, down… through the cloudbank: and now- nothing but open ocean in front of him, a rocky village falling behind. This was the life he had always wanted. To be free. Free to fly, to run his hands through the ocean waves: like a knife through butter. Free to be adventurous._

_All of a sudden there is a loud screech. A frightened cry escapes his mouth as he is plunged into the icy waters below. The leathery black skin that had been underneath him is nowhere to be seen, or felt. Now all there is is cold, wet, darkness. He can’t find the surface of the water. He needs air. Everything is becoming hazy._

            Eugene opened his eyes and sat up. His heart-rate was fast, his breathing heavy. The nightmare: he’d seen it again. It’s been occurring more and more frequently, leaving him breathless and sweating. Rapunzel was still sleeping peacefully beside him, her brown hair mussed about her head. Morning light was peeking through the cracks of the giant crème curtains that lined the windows. Everything around him was quiet. In the distance the morning bustle could be heard starting up.

He sighed. The wedding was in a week. The preparations were giving him headaches. Not to mention nightmares. The flying dream had started shortly after Eugene had proposed. In truth, the dream could be an omen, but Eugene wasn’t the kind of man to go running as soon as the going got rough. He had been a thief for crying out loud. Eugene let out another exasperated sigh. He wasn’t a philosopher by any means: he was a man of action. Perhaps helping the preparations throughout the town would take his mind away from the dream.

Slowly, so as not to wake his bride-to-be, Eugene slipped out of the giant, fluffy bed and placed his bare feet on the cold stone floor. He shivered slightly, but he rose and grabbed his old thieving garb: his white tunic and blue vest, tan breeches and his satchel. He picked up his brown boots and his belt and went to change. He kept his feet bare until he had slipped out of the sleeping quarters, then slipped them over his feet and ran down the hall, into many other halls, winding his way to the front entrance. He pushed open the double doors and breathed in the open air. Then he ran down the steps and into the town of Corona.

The children of Corona were laughing and playing, with dolls and with each other. The miller was in front of his shop, setting up the displays for the day. In the stall beside him, the butcher was putting out the freshly cut assorted meats. Eugene walked along the cobblestone roads, humming quietly to himself. The fresh air helped to ease his mind and brighten his spirits. Every place he passed he was greeted with pleasant “hello’s” and “good morning’s” from the townsfolk and the children.

Eugene kept walking along the road through Corona until he got to the bridge that separated the woods from the royal town. This was where Rapunzel first saw her real home. It had been a pain to get her here, but it was well worth all the trouble. Her excitement: it had been contagious. And because of that, he wanted for nothing; he had everything he had ever wanted. More, actually.

As he stood staring over the bridge into the water below, Eugene heard something unfamiliar. It sounded like large wings beating: attempting to hold a large body in the air. He looked around but saw nothing but bright blue morning skies with very few white clouds dotted about. He shook his head and looked back into the water, smiling at the perfectly crystalline blue water as it reflected his face.

“Why is it that water can get my nose right?” Eugene whispered to himself. He closed his eyes and sighed, a small chuckle coming from his lips.

“Well, look who it is… just the man we wanted to see.”

Eugene opened his eyes and looked in the water before turning around. His blood ran cold. In his reflection behind him stood the Stabbington Brothers. Both men were wearing smug grins that meant trouble. Eugene gulped. Last he had heard the brothers were going to spend the rest of their lives in jail for their crimes, for thieving as well as those acted upon against Rapunzel. But, either they had been released, or they had just escaped. From the looks of it, the latter seemed the proper option.

“Hey… guys. It has been some time. Ha-have you been let out on good behavior? We should celebrate! I know of the perfect little place…”

The first brother grabbed Eugene’s vest and pulled him close menacingly, stopping Eugene from continuing his rant. He smiled evilly at the prince-to-be: a smile that could freeze even the hottest summer day. Eugene gulped.

“That isn’t why we’re here for you Rider.”

“Actually, I’m going by Fitzherbert now.”

The men chuckled darkly.

“You think we care that you wriggled your way into the palace? You were a shitty thief to begin with. No… we need you to do something with all your new wealth and power.”

“For you?”

Both men nodded.

“Well… I don’t have power yet… What do you need from me? I may not be into the thieving business anymore, but I might be able to put you in contact with someone who can help. Therapy? Anger Management? You need some new stomping grounds? A fresh start?”

“We need gold. And you’re going to get it for us.”

“Me? Why?”

“We need to skip town. And you got us caught plenty of times. It’s only fair you repay your debt to us. We have other ways you could pay, if you won’t get us what we need.”

“Like…”

“How good is your swimming?” the second brother growled.

A look of relief washed over Eugene’s face. Swimming? He was good at swimming.

“My swimming is great! If you wanted to race, why didn’t you say so?”

“Hands tied. Anchored to the ocean floor.”

“Oh… um… that one is… a little more difficult to deal with.”

Both men smiled and wheeled Eugene around, taking both of his hands behind him and tying them together.

“Um… guys? These things are kind of tight, mind loosening them a little? Better circulation, you know- OW!”

Eugene’s head was yanked back and an old rag was stuffed into his open mouth. It reeked of old fish, and tasted like dirt and slime. Eugene gagged.  The brothers continued to smile. Corona’s walls were far enough away that silence was all Eugene could hear. No one would see him die. Rapunzel would be left heartbroken.

“We’ll just steal the money we need, ourselves. It will be easier for us anyway.” The second brother let out a single bark for a laugh, and looked to his other brother. Then, with a nod both men lunged forward.

Eugene closed his eyes, bracing himself for the feeling of plunging headfirst into the water. At least he had lived the way he had always dreamed… at least for a little while. But, the feeling never came. There was a _whoosh_ and a large _thud_. Eugene opened his eyes. Directly in front of him was a large back animal, with bright green eyes and a toothless grin.

Eugene didn’t move. This creature was something he had never seen before. It was beautiful, yet terrifying. Then something moved behind the creature. It looked like a young man, though it was hard to tell because he had a mask over his face. His left leg was a metal pole.

“Okay bud. These two won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Let’s get the other one taken care of and be on our way.”

The black creature made a throaty burble and gently nudged Eugene in the side. The masked man took off his mask, which, after removal looked more like some sort of helmet. His brown hair was slightly shaggy, with a few braided strands on the right side of his head. His eyes were a striking green, and his skin was tanned beautifully.

The man approached Eugene cautiously, trying not to scare him. It wasn’t working very well, but not because of the strange man; it was the burbling blacked being standing in front of him. Eugene pressed himself as far into the bridge wall as he could, which wasn’t very far. The black thing turned its large head to the side in curiosity. The man stopped and put his hands in front of him.

“It’s okay. I’m here to help you. My name is Hiccup. And this is Toothless. Let me help you get untied.”

Eugene nodded and turned around so that the man called Hiccup could untie his hands. He turned his head to keep an eye on the animal called Toothless. It seemed a very fitting name, since the creature didn’t seem to have teeth. Eugene heard the clean _slice_ of a blade being unsheathed. His heart sped up. This strange person could just as easily kill him as he could help him. He was putting a lot of trust in a stranger. Usually, that isn’t what Flynn Rider would do. But he was Eugene Fitzherbert now- he needed to trust people a little more.

The ropes were untied with a single swift slice. The second he was free, Eugene turned around and pulled the nasty piece of cloth out of his mouth. He looked at Hiccup and mustered a smile. He could still taste rotting fish slime on his tongue.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. We were just flying overhead when we saw these two attack you. Thought we could give you a hand.” Hiccup smiled cheerfully and shrugged his shoulders.

“Flying?”

“Oh. Yeah. Toothless… he’s, well, a dragon.”

“A dragon?” Eugene felt his eyes widen in terror and wonder. He wasn’t exactly scared; he had, after all, seen magic hair that glowed. A dragon wasn’t that much more mystical to him. He never realized such an amazing creature could exist.

“Yes. He’s a Night Fury. The fastest dragon known. He’s also the only one I’ve found.”

Eugene felt his arm subconsciously reach out toward the large winged beast. His hand touched Toothless’ forehead, just above the eyes. He felt the heat from the dragon’s body. Felt the nostrils taking in air. Those green eyes were mesmerizing, and before he knew what was going on, Eugene had walked right to the saddle.

“You want to take a ride?”

“Oh! Um… I’m not so sure…”

“Toothless doesn’t usually do too well with new and strange people. He’s just fine with you though. That’s why I offered. We could fly around the castle, if you’d like.” Hiccup was on the other side of Toothless, and swinging his body onto the saddle.

He locked his metal leg into a gear toward the bottom of the saddle straps. He moved the leg a little and the back tail mechanism opened to show a mechanic red tail wing. There was also a white mark at the edge of the tail wing; it looked like a skull of some sort, with horns on either side of its head.

 Eugene gulped. It was true that he did want to ride on the dragon. He wanted to feel the wind in his hair, smell the fresh air. Maybe it would be like in his dream, before the watery death. Maybe it would be so much more than his dream, and better.

“Come on. Hop on. It’ll be short. If you can’t handle it we’ll drop you back down.”

“Alright, alright.”Eugene climbed onto the scaley dragon and wrapped his arms around Hiccup’s midriff. It felt awkward to Eugene to have to do this, but Hiccup didn’t seem to mind, or notice. His attention was on making sure everything was still secure.

“Hold on tight. Alright Toothless: let’s take a nice easy ride around that castle.”

With one hard push, the dragon lifted into the air, the bridge and the Stabbington Brothers becoming small specks as they traveled into the cloudbank.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
“Wow! This is…”  
“Pretty cool, huh? Aren’t you glad you chose to have a ride?”  
Eugene nodded from his spot behind Hiccup. The young man was completely at ease up here in the clouds: flying effortlessly through the air. It made Eugene a bit jealous. Sure, he had had plenty of adventures, most of which were while he had been a thief. Regardless of when they were, they were still adventures though.  
But this was something completely different.  
Eugene loosened his grip around Hiccup’s waist. He cautiously reached one hand out to his side, feeling the air push against it. The power was amazing. Eugene’s heart was pounding as they circled the castle of Corona. He could see every room. It was amazing to him; that so much could be seen while being so high up.  
“Well, we’ve circled around. I’ll put you down on the bridge. I don’t want to cause a panic to the people. Is that alright?” Hiccup asked, turning to look over his shoulder. His voice was a bit nasally, but it carried well over the sound of the wind and the beating of the dragon’s wings.  
“I’d like to go out a little farther, if that’s okay. I’d like to see what’s out there.”  
The reality of those words hit Eugene like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t had an adventure since bringing Rapunzel home from the tower after Gothel died. He had stayed by her side. He had… changed. A lot more than he had first thought. He craved the adventure he had given up. He wanted to see new things, to just be.  
Hiccup chuckled. “Alright. But you better hang on.”  
No sooner had he said those words, Toothless sped up his wing beats. Eugene grasped onto Hiccup’s waist just before he would be thrown from the saddle. He let out a slightly frightened cry as the plunged down toward the ocean. Hiccup laughed as they leveled off just above the surface of the crystal blue water.  
“Well chief, how far do you want to go?”  
“I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this free.”  
“Hey… you got a name I can call you?” Hiccup said, once again turning his head so that he could be heard clearly over the wind.  
“Uh… Eu-Eugene.”  
“Eugene. Okay. Nice to meet you. I know it’s a bit late for introductions, but better late than never, right?”  
Eugene laughed uncomfortably. It sounded so strange to hear his name come from this man’s mouth. “Actually, call me Flynn. Flynn Rider.”  
It felt so good to hear that old familiar name spoken aloud. It had been years.  
Hiccup turned not only his head, but his torso. The helmet obscured everything but his eyes. Those deep green eyes: searching for something. They seemed to bore straight into Eugene’s soul.  
“Flynn. That’s an interesting name. Have to say, I like Flynn a little better than Eugene. Seems a little stuffy.” Hiccup turned back around and leaned forward. He let go of the harness with one hand and placed his fingers into the water. Toothless turned his head slightly and gave a throaty warble.  
“I used to go by Flynn Rider all the time. But then… someone changed me.”  
“You fell in love?”  
Eugene sighed and reached down to trail his hand in the cold water. “I guess you could say that. But my first love has always been adventure. I’ve missed it.”  
Hiccup nodded in understanding. “Well, I love adventure. Being out; the wind in my hair: when the helmet’s off of course. The freedom is intoxicating.”  
“How’d you manage to ride a dragon? I thought they were only myth.”  
“Well, dragons used to be a problem for us. They used to steal our animals and set fire to our houses. But now, well, they all live with us on Berk.”  
“Berk?”  
“It’s an island about two days flight from here. Less if Toothless flies fast. I’m a Viking. Son of the chief, actually.”  
“Vikings still exist?”  
Hiccup laughed. “Yeah. We tend to keep to ourselves most of the time. Dragons. You know… great conversation starter, not so great for allies and whatnot. Scares most people off.”  
“Well, maybe one day you can take me to see Berk. It sounds like a great adventure.”  
“Sure. One day. I do a lot of scouting. New lands, new dragons: it’s… kind of my thing.”  
Eugene looked down at his reflection. His hair was whipped back from his face from the wind. His cheeks looked a little pink, and his eyes seemed full of life. When was the last time he had felt so alive? When Rapunzel had made him take her to Corona to see the lanterns: the day they had spent dancing, eating, reading, and finally, boating. The day he realized he had fallen for her.  
And now, here he was. Riding on a dragon: feeling just as free; just as alive.  
“We should probably turn back soon. If we go now, we should get you back just before sunset.” Hiccup said.  
It had been quiet for a while, and Eugene hadn’t realized how far from Corona they had travelled. The castle was nothing more than a small speck on the horizon. Dark clouds were beginning to form between Corona and their placement on the ocean, closer to the little party than to the city. The ocean itself was beginning to darken into a dark blackish-blue.  
“Hey Hiccup. Are those storm clouds following us?” Eugene pointed behind him with his thumb as he leaned forward to talk to the rider.  
Hiccup turned around and glanced behind him. He nodded.  
“Yeah. Those look pretty nasty too. We can’t fly in storms. The lightning- it’s attracted to the metal in my leg and Toothless’ tail. It’s too dangerous. We’ll have to find an island to rest on until the storm passes. Looks like you won’t make it back by sunset.”  
As if on cue, lightning crackled through the sky. It was close enough to Eugene that he felt the hair on his arms begin to stand up with electric charge.  
“Come on bud! We have to get away from this storm.” Hiccup urged as large droplets of water began to fall around them. Within seconds both men and the dragon were soaked. Thunder rumbled across the open air, sending large vibrations through Eugene’s body. Eugene shivered; trying to rid himself of the feeling those vibrations gave him: a feeling of doom.  
Toothless’ wings beat hard as he tried to outrace the storm. They were already as low to the ground as they could go; Toothless’ wingtips were trailing in the water with every stroke. The lightning seemed to become thicker as the dragon began to lose the race. Soon the black clouds were in front of them as well as behind. Rain pelted the party mercilessly and the ocean began to churn violently.  
“Toothless, we have to get away from the water.” Hiccup called out between the rolls of thunder. Toothless warbled in response and began to rise closer to the dark clouds. Eugene looked around frantically trying to find something familiar.  
There were no islands in sight. Corona was nowhere to be seen. All Eugene could see around him were the angry waves of the ocean and the angry clouds of the storm. He held onto Hiccup even tighter. It seemed almost like his dream.  
“Hang on Flynn. We’re almost to the archipelago. We can rest on an island there.”  
“What the hell is an archipelago?” Eugene screamed into the air, his cries being swallowed by a giant burst of thunder. The lightning was so bright it was leaving him with streaks of bright colors across his vision.  
“There!” Hiccup shouted. Rising in the distance amidst the black of the storm, was a large cliff. Lightning struck the cliff, sending huge chunks of broken rock plummeting to the ocean below.  
To Eugene, it looked like the island was being targeted by the lightning. Hiccup must have been thinking the same thing because he shook his head and yelled something. The dragon must have heard him because a moment later they were flying away from the island.  
“We’re going to continue forward, to something safer!” Hiccup yelled to Eugene. Eugene squeezed Hiccup’s waist twice as a response. He was a man, not afraid of much, but this was utterly terrifying. He couldn’t trust his voice to not scream like a small girl. That would be more embarrassing than anything else he had ever done. That included singing in the Snuggly Duckling with a bunch of drunken thieves. And that was at the top of his list of embarrassments.  
It was silent as Toothless flew at breakneck speed through the storm. He wove in and out of lightning strikes, narrowly missing being hit every time. Eugene’s hair was standing on end. Hiccup was focused on finding someplace safe to land. Eugene was sitting behind the Viking thinking of the happy times he had had with Rapunzel, and cursing himself for ever wanting more than what he had already had. The threat of death can do that to people.  
Suddenly the rain stopped. The dark clouds vanished and there was nothing but calm, deep blue water and bright sunlight.  
“What happened?” Eugene asked, looking behind him to where the clouds sat. it was as if there was a magical barrier preventing the storm from following.  
“We got through the storm. Good job bud.” Hiccup said to Toothless as he rubbed the dragon’s chin. “It looks like you’ll get to see Berk sooner than we both anticipated. We’re almost there.”  
“You weren’t kidding when you said less than two days if he flew fast.”  
Hiccup laughed. “Yeah. You got to see both the night and the fury.”  
“That’s was too much fury for my taste.” Eugene said as he began to relax. He kept glancing over his shoulder at the storm. It was moving slower now, but he could tell that it had now broken through whatever barrier had been there and was on the move.  
“Well, welcome to Berk.” Hiccup said as they flew past a giant carved stone. The face on the stone was terrifying to say the least, but beautifully done. Eugene wasn’t an art skeptic by any means, but he could tell that a lot of time and effort had been placed in each carving he flew past. Suddenly a giant island came into view, full of houses and brightly colored buildings. Dragons of all shapes and sizes flew through the air and dove into the greenish waters below the giant rock.  
“Wow. This is… amazing.”  
“Wait until you see it up close.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
“Hiccup!”  
“Astrid, hey.”  
Eugene slowly down from Toothless’ back, his legs shaking from the recent pump of adrenaline. They had just landed t the docks of Berk, and already people were flocking to meet them, including a girl with long blonde hair. She looked fierce, and she easily pushed through the crowd as she ran to Hiccup.   
Toothless gave a light warble and dodged past the crowd to a group of winged creatures Eugene could only consider as other dragons. He watched as Toothless warbled and growled, shaking his head back and forth and up and down, as if he were greeting the other creatures, and watched as the others mimicked the behavior.  
“Hiccup, we thought you were going to be gone longer. What happened? And who is this guy?” the blonde girl said, grabbing Eugene by the collar of his vest. “He’s not a dragon trapper, is he?”  
“Wha- um. No! I’m just a normal guy.” Eugene exclaimed, placing his hands in front of him, palms out in surrender. The blonde raised one eyebrow in suspicion, but released his vest.  
“Astrid, this is Flynn. Flynn, Astrid.” Hiccup said, angling his hands so that they pointed to the respective person as he spoke. “I saved Flynn from being drowned.”  
“Oh.” Astrid said turning back toward the houses that rested on the edge of the craggy island cliffs. “So, then… why are you back so early? It’s not because of him is it?”  
“Well…” Hiccup took off his helmet and ran his fingers through his hair uncomfortably. “Not… exactly.”  
“So? Explain.”  
“Why is this so important?”  
“Because we were expecting you back at least three days later than today! We had things we were doing for you.” Astrid wheeled around and punched Hiccup in the chest, releasing some sort of fabric webbing on his back. Eugene looked at the two and smiled. It was clear they were together, and in love, like him and Rapunzel.  
Rapunzel.  
She was probably having a heart attack right now. It had been almost two entire days since he had been in the palace. The wedding was only a few days away. If Eugene didn’t make it back before then, the wedding could be called off- months of preparation wasted. Not to mention the amount of anger the King and Queen would have with him for standing up their daughter at the altar, unintentional as it might be.  
Eugene shivered lightly at the thought of the King and Queen sentencing him to death for such a heinous crime. Deep down he didn’t think that the royals didn’t have the heart to commit him to death because of something out of his control, but the King was getting old. And the older he got, the less tolerable he found things. He needed to get back to Corona.  
Thunder rumbled in the distance, pulling Eugene out of his thoughts. The crowd of people were silent as they watched the skies begin to cloud over.  
“It looks like a really bad storm is coming.” Hiccup said, placing his hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “We won’t be able to get you back home until it clears up. Maybe we can leave tomorrow. Until then, stay at my place.”  
“Uh. Okay.” Eugene looked up the island of Berk. The houses were simple, but they looked better than what he had had as a child. Dragons flew and walked around the entire island, on the houses and walkways. It was a simple living, but everything that Eugene was seeing was stirring up thoughts in his head.  
“Well, come on! I’ll introduce you to my parents.”  
Hiccup began walking up the long wooden trails leading up to the higher parts of the island, Eugene following closely behind him. Astrid took up the back behind Eugene, a frown of concern on her face. The rest of the villagers followed up the trail, calling to children and dragons alike.  
As Eugene reached the landing of Berk, he saw a man build like a boulder. His reddish hair was touched with grey, and his beard was braided. He had a helmet with horns placed on top of his head, and his eyes were as green as Hiccup’s. The young brunette was talking with this man in a very animated way. Hiccup’s hands were flying around his body and face as he spoke to the giant man. The man had a large scowl on his face, and shook his head in resignation. Then he turned to Eugene with a look of forced kindness.  
“Welcome to Berk. I am Stoick, the chief.”  
“Woah… um… hi. Sir. The name’s Flynn.” Eugene stuck his hand out in greeting. Stoick looked at his hand and nodded his head, ignoring the young man’s attempt at manners.  
“You are welcome here until the storm lets up. Then you must leave. We don’t like strangers here.”  
“I… understand. Thank you.”  
As Stoick turned to leave, Eugene turned to Hiccup, who in turn began walking deeper into the island village. Eugene scrambled to keep up.  
“Well, I can see why you don’t have many visitors.” Eugene said as the two walked up to the biggest house on Berk, the chief’s house. Hiccup gave a nervous chuckle.  
“Yeah… he’s not big on strangers, more now than ever, since now we have dragons. Like I said before… great conversation starter, but not much good for anything else.”  
“Yeah. I’m sure people would freak out a bit, just seeing his form is enough to silence a room.” Hiccup laughed and shook his head.  
“That’s not exactly…”  
“I know. I know. But in all honesty, I have to get back to Corona as soon as possible. I’ve got a wedding to go to.”  
“Oh? Who’s?” Hiccup turned to Eugene and smiled.  
“Well… Mine.”  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah.”  
Huge droplets of rain began to litter the earth. Eugene held out his hand and felt the water begin to pool in his palm. Quickly he shook the water out of his hand and rubbed the moisture onto his quickly soaking vest.  
“Um, can we take this conversation inside, maybe?”  
Hiccup nodded and opened the heavy oak doors of his home. A woman stood by the hearth, stirring a large pot. Hidden in the corner nearest her was a brown dragon with a wide spanning head plate and yellow eyes. It had three long tendrils on each side of its face, coming down from the head plate. As Eugene looked across the length of the beast, he noticed the extremely long and sharp talon at the tip of its wing.  
“Oh Hiccup, you’re back.” The woman said as she glanced up and then rushed to give Hiccup a hug.  
“Hey mom.”  
“Who’s this?” she asked after her embrace as she turned to look at Eugene.  
“This is Flynn. I rescued him from drowning.”  
“Oh?” Hiccup’s mother smiled and opened her arms for an embrace. “Hello Flynn. My name is Valka. Welcome to Berk. Where did Hiccup find you?”  
Eugene moved to give Valka an awkward embrace. “I’m from a small island country called Corona.”  
“Oh, it sounds lovely. Are there dragons there? You seem to be alright with them.”  
“Oh, no. This is the first time I’ve ever seen them. I didn’t even know they were real. until today.”  
Valka nodded, her green eyes sparkling with understanding.  
“Well… uh… mom, I’m taking Flynn up to my room to get him settled for the night. I’ve got to get him back home soon-he’s got a wedding to attend.”  
“Oh! Is it your wedding?”  
Eugene nodded, feeling his cheeks color slightly. Yes. I’m sure my fiancée is worried. I had only intended on going for a walk, I’ve been gone for a while.”  
“Oh, well, it depends on whether Toothless can fly in the weather. We will try to get you home soon, but depending on the weather, we might have to bring you on Cloud Jumper instead.”   
Eugene nodded and thanked Valka for her kindness, then hurriedly followed Hiccup and his giant black dragon up the stairs and into his room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Woah! Seriously? You used to be a theif?” Hiccup laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.  
“I know… it’s not really what you would guess. Rapunzel changed me.” Eugene smiled sheepishly, his brown eyes darting around the room in embarrassment.  
“So tell me about Rapunzel. She sounds like a fun person.”  
Toothless perked his head up and turned his yellow-green eyes to Eugene, his pupil so wide the color almost seemed to have vanished.  
“Well… erm… She is, first off, a princess. But she didn’t know it.”  
“How? I would think that sort of thing would be general knowledge for a princess.”  
“She was taken by a woman named Gothel when she was just a baby. Her hair had magical properties- ones that Gothel had wanted. But she couldn’t just cut her hair off because the power would be lost. So Rapunzel grew up in a giant tower, away from any type of civilization. She was alone for eighteen years.”  
“And you saved her?”  
“Ha… well not at first. I stumbled upon her tower after trying to escape the royal guards. I kinda stole the missing princess’ crown. She had wanted to leave the tower and had convinced me to help her out.”  
“And you fell in love?”  
“Well, yeah.”  
Toothless warbled joyfully and nudged Eugene gently.  
“So what about you? Is that blonde…”  
“Astrid. Yeah. She’s my girl. She used to hate me- I used to be… well, more of a toothpick and an outcast than a Viking. Dragons used to be a problem, but because of me and Toothless, they’ve all moved in.”  
Thunder rumbled loudly outside the sturdy wooden house. Lightning crackled overhead, sending shivers down Eugene’s spine.  
“Ah… this is so great! I don’t really have someone to talk to like this…”  
Toothless turned his head and frowned at Hiccup.  
“Except you bud.”  
Eugene laughed. It had been a while since he had had someone to talk like this too. It wasn’t a manly thing to do: talk about feelings and reminiscing. But it felt nice. It felt… human. It was nice to finally have someone, other than Rapunzel, to talk to.  
The boys talked well into the night, barely realizing the sun beginning to rise until they passed out from exhaustion, Toothless wrapped protectively around the two.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Hiccup was used to sleeping in the warm folds of Toothless’ protective wings. He was used to hearing the deep thrum of Toothless’ breathing as the dragon slept, he was used to feeling the light pumping of the dragon’s heart.  
He was not used to opening his eyes and finding another body curled tightly beside him.   
As he tried to wrap his head around what had happened, Hiccup stared at the dark haired man sleeping peacefully beside him. He was a handsome man. And his build was similar to his own. He seemed like he enjoyed riding Toothless, so perhaps he would enjoy becoming a Viking.  
Hiccup shook his head, banishing those thoughts. He, the son of Stoick the Vast, could not be developing a crush on another man. But there it was, all facts laid bare. Beside him lay a man that made Hiccup’s heart beat faster. He didn’t know exactly what happened to warrant this reaction, but he knew this wasn’t a feeling he should be having.  
Flynn moved his head slightly and smacked his lips quietly. A content sigh escaped his lips. Hiccup blushed and reached across and pulled a few messy strands of hair from the sleeping man’s face.  
He knew this affection was forbidden. The sooner he could get Flynn back to Rapunzel, the sooner he could forget about how he was beginning to feel.  
Toothless lifted his wing enough to poke his head inside his nest. He nudged at Hiccup gently, opening his mouth in a lopsided, toothless smile. Hiccup smiled and patted the dragon’s nose softly.  
“How’s the weather bud?” He whispered, trying not to wake Flynn.  
Toothless made a low warble and nudged at the still sleeping man. He unwrapped the boys from his protective netting and stood up, shaking himself and stretching. He swished his tail tentatively and looked back to his rider.  
Flynn was still sleeping, though he had shifted and now had a frown on his face. In an instant, he sat up, his face paling as his brown eyes searched around the room.  
“Where am I? What happened? Oh…” Flynn’s eyes widened then closed as he remembered what had happened. He ran his hand through his hair sheepishly as he looked up at Hiccup, who was trying not to laugh too hard.  
“Good morning Flynn.” Hiccup said with a smile as he held out a hand to help the other man up. “I trust you slept well?”  
Flynn nodded and took Hiccup’s hand. He pulled himself up with a quiet groan. Hiccup’s heart began to race and he quickly dropped his eyes to the floor in an attempt to calm himself. He would not sabotage this new friendship.  
Toothless looked from Hiccup to Flynn and back again. His yellow-green eyes widened and he warbled loudly. Hiccup turned and smiled at the black dragon.  
“We have to go feed you, right bud? Hey, do you want to come along? It’s still a bit stormy out there, so we have to stick close to Berk, but we can still go riding.”  
“Sure. I’d love to fly again.” Flynn said with a smile. His stomach growled loudly and his hands flew to his abdomen as color crept across his cheeks. “Perhaps some breakfast first, though?”   
Hiccup laughed.  
“Of course. We’ll meet you outside in a bit Toothless.”  
Toothless nodded and leapt out the wide window with a flick of his tail.  
“Does he always do that?” asked Flynn with an amused smirk.  
By “that” Hiccup assumed Flynn meant the almost uncanny way Toothless was able to understand everything- and respond to it accordingly. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and nodded lightly.  
“Yeah, I suppose so. He’s done it since I first met him.”  
Flynn chuckled.  
“What’s so funny?”  
“You two have a really different bond.”  
“He’s my best friend. My first real friend.”  
Flynn shook his head. “No, I meant as in, a boy and his dragon: tag-teaming the world; two against one. Forever.” Flynn wrapped one arm around Hiccup’s shoulder and waved his hand in front of the boy’s face as if he were trying to get him to envision the words coming from his mouth. Hiccup smiled sheepishly and felt his cheeks grow hot.  
“How exactly did you manage to get someone to want to marry you?” Hiccup teased lightly, trying to still his rapidly increasing heart rate. “Your character is so weird.”  
Flynn shrugged, either oblivious to Hiccup’s teasing or ignoring it completely. He smiled as his feet touched the wooden planks of the main floor of the house. The smell of roasting chicken hung in the air in layers.  
Valka stood by the giant fireplace, humming a tune quietly to herself. Beside her, Cloud Jumper lay in the shadows, his eyes partially opened as he watched her work.  
“Morning mom.” Hiccup called as he went to grab bowls and utensils for the food.  
“Good morning Hiccup. And Flynn. You aren’t out in the air yet? The weather is fair enough for light flying, I would have thought you would have left already.”  
Flynn’s cheeks turned a deep crimson as he gratefully took the supplies Hiccup gave him. Hiccup laughed.  
“Well, Flynn wanted food before we went out. Toothless is outside waiting. We’ll leave right after he eats.”  
Valka froze. She turned and looked pointedly at Hiccup. “And you too, right? When was the last time you had a decent meal?”  
“Uh…”  
“The day you left here on your last adventure. That was almost a week ago Hiccup. Eat.”  
Hiccup sighed in quiet resignation and set a place for himself beside Flynn. It was true that he rarely ate a “decent meal”, since he was often gone travelling to new lands and exploring new territories. Flynn said nothing, but the color faded from his cheeks.  
The meal was eaten in relative silence, Flynn ate respectfully and rather quickly while Hiccup scarfed down the food his mother put on his plate. Valka watched with motherly approval as the boys helped themselves to seconds of the roast chicken, bread and butter, and garden vegetables she had prepared. When they were finished, Flynn ushered Hiccup out of the hut with such force at first Hiccup was concerned.  
Toothless bounded toward the two men as they exited the chief’s hut. A happy warble and the feeling of falling was all Hiccup was aware of before his body made contact with the slightly damp ground. Flynn stood above him, a smile spread across his rugged features.  
“Looks like we are all ready for adventure!” Flynn cried as he held out his hand to help the smaller brunette up.  
Hiccup chuckled.  
“Yeah, looks like it. You ready bud?”  
Toothless gave a lopsided, toothy grin and moved to allow Hiccup on. Hiccup’s heart began to race, and for once today it wasn’t because of Flynn. He mounted Toothless and locked himself into the harness. He turned to look at Flynn and was surprised to find the man already moving to situate himself on the remaining free space of the harness.  
His stomach lurched excitedly as he felt Flynn’s strong arms wrap around his torso. Felt the man’s sculpted chest on his back through his riding gear. Swallowing to ignore his killer heartbeat, Hiccup reached down and gently patted Toothless’ neck.  
It was their custom, right before take-off. The unspoken symbol to take flight. Moments later, the three were in the air, Berk becoming smaller as they put distance between them and soared over open ocean.  
They remained close to Berk, but far enough away that they weren’t considered “on the island”. Here, Toothless dove close to the waves of the ocean, his taloned feet grazing the surface and sometimes bringing up pawfuls of water to splash the humans aboard.  
Flynn let out a small bark of laughter, his grip loosening from around Hiccup’s waist until he could no longer feel him. Nervously he glanced behind him and saw Flynn leaning over just enough to have his hand graze the water. Hiccup smiled and looked ahead again.  
In the distance, Scauldrons, Thunderdrums and Seashockers rose out of the waves like graceful acrobats, the water splashing around them in a flurry of droplets. Hiccup smiled and gave a content sigh. He loved flying.  
It was something Hiccup was used to.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
The wedding was four days away. Eugene was still nowhere to be found. No one in the kingdom had seen him since the day he went missing. The palace guards had found the Stabbington brothers on the bridge, unconscious and tied tightly together. But they claimed to know nothing of Eugene’s whereabouts.  
Rapunzel sighed and closed the book she had been trying to read. The Tales of Flynnigan Rider stared back at her, the calligraphy of the cover seeming cold and unfeeling. The sun was shining brightly, but Rapunzel didn’t feel cheerful.  
There was a quiet knock at the door and before she could be turned away, the Queen entered Rapunzel’s room. She walked quietly to her daughter’s side and kneeled on the floor in front of her.  
“Rapunzel…”  
“Mother, has there been any change?”  
The Queen shook her head, her bright green eyes brimming with unshed tears. She reached out and took her daughter’s hands in hers, squeezing them in an attempt at comfort. She remembered how it had been when she had lost her child to the witch Gothel, but this was different. Eugene wasn’t her child, but her love was still the same.  
Rapunzel sighed. Her heart squeezed tightly in pain. She felt like she was suffocating.  
“Is there no new information then?”  
“I’m afraid not my child.”  
Rapunzel nodded, another sigh escaping her lips. A single tear fell from her eyes and landed on her mother’s hand.   
“I hope he is alright. I know he wouldn’t just leave like that.”  
The Queen was silent. There was nothing she could say to ease her child’s pain.  
Rapunzel sighed again and placed her book on the table beside her chair. She wiped her eyes and stood up, her bare feet seeming to glide across the polished marble floor as she went to her wardrobe.  
On the bed, Pascal lay curled in a ball, sleeping. He raised his head briefly, watching Rapunzel’s movements before rising.  
“Rapunzel, what do you wish to do?”  
“Keep everything as planned. I’m going out to find him.”  
“But-”  
“Mother, I think he is in trouble. He rescued me, I should do the same for him.” Rapunzel took off her crown and placed it in her mother’s hands. “If I am not back in three days time, cancel the wedding. I’ll be back.”  
“Rapunzel, I don’t want to lose you again.”  
Rapunzel smiled, tears brimming in her eyes again. She reached out and trailed her fingers across her mother’s cheek. The Queen’s green eyes mirrored her own pain and worry. Both women knew it would be a dangerous journey to make, and there was a possibility that Rapunzel could be lost to her parents again-this time for forever.  
“I’ll be back.”  
Rapunzel turned away, tears beginning to drip from her giant green orbs.  
“Rapunzel, your father-”  
“It’ll be okay. I’ll be back. And he’ll be with me.” Rapunzel’s voice wavered. “Come on Pascal.”  
The little green chameleon jumped onto Rapunzel’s lilac skirt and climbed his way up to her shoulder as she walked quickly from the room, hoping her mother would not follow. The Queen tried to chase Rapunzel, but before she could stop her child, the young princess was gone from view.  
Rapunzel ran through the halls, trying to hide from everyone’s view. In mere moments her mother could call for the guards to trap her from leaving the palace. She needed to get out before she was seen. She didn’t like having to run from her parents, but she could feel in her heart that Eugene was in trouble. She needed to rescue him.  
As she fled the castle and made it to the bridge where the two criminal brothers had been found, she slowed. She looked into the water flowing gently underneath her, it’s clear blue hue reflecting the girl’s worn face. Her eyes were swollen from crying and dark with lack of sleep. He skin was pale, and her eyes looked dull and void of life.  
“What do you think? Should I look here on the land? Or travel outwards? They haven’t found him here…”  
Pascal grunted and wriggled his head from side to side, pointing his tail out at the horizon.  
“I need a ship, or a boat at least.”  
Pascal nodded.  
“But if I go back into Corona, I might get stopped.”  
Pascal grunted again and pointed at the clear blue water.  
“Swim to a boat? That doesn’t seem safe.”  
Pascal narrowed his eyes and froze, staring hard at his brunette friend.  
Rapunzel sighed.  
“What real choice do I have?”  
Rapunzel sighed again and began her descent into the water below the bridge. She was careful as she climbed down, her bare feet easily finding foot holes to grasp. Pascal climbed onto her head and held on, watching the water come closer and closer.  
Rapunzel continued to climb until her body was mostly submerged in the cold water. Once she was able to, she pushed away from the stone of the bridge and began to swim back to the shores of Corona, using the bridge’s length as a shield from view.  
Pascal sat on top of her head and watched carefully, making sure he himself did not get wet.  
The sun began to set, sending bright oranges and purples across the water. By the time Rapunzel would get back to Corona’s shores, darkness would have fallen and the fishermen and other ship captains would have gone to their homes for the night. Stealing a ship wasn’t something she wanted to do, and she wasn’t proud of the idea of having to do something so bad, but it needed to be done. For Eugene’s sake.  
As she reached the docks, Rapunzel heard the clanking of feet walking in unison and gasped as she hid beneath the wooden planks. Her mother had placed guards on the docks. Stealing a ship would be more difficult now.  
She waited until the footsteps had faded completely before she raised her head over the edge of the dock enough to see. The pair of lanterns were fading in the distance as the guards continued their rounds of the docks. Rapunzel let out a tentative sigh.  
“Let’s go.”  
They found an older looking fishing boat and quickly untied the tethers that kept the vessel anchored to the docks. Rapunzel pushed off, grunting with effort.  
“Hey did you hear something?”  
“Yeah. It came from this way. Let’s go check it out.”  
Rapunzel gasped and pushed the boat again, this time freeing it completely from its moor. She leapt aboard as the guards came running from around the corner. As they saw the princess beginning to float away, the cried out and pushed harder to reach the boat in time. They reached the edge of the dock as Rapunzel and the fishing vessel floated just out of reach.  
“I’m sorry!” Rapunzel called to them as she floated farther away. “I’ll return it when I come back!”  
The guards stood at the edge of the dock, eyes wide with terror, mouths open in shock, chests heaving as they gasped for breath. Rapunzel turned away from them, her heart seeming to squeeze the very breath from her lungs. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Now came the hard part: navigating a boat, and finding Eugene. Rapunzel sighed and picked up the small chameleon.  
“Oh Pascal, where could he be?”


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

            It was only a few days before the wedding, or the day of- Eugene didn’t remember how many days were left, nor did he care. Flying with Hiccup and Toothless was becoming the only thing he knew. The adventures they had were all he needed. He felt so fee when he flew above the clouds, just like when he was nothing more than a common theif.

            It’s not that he had forgotten Rapunzel and everything he was supposed to do; he thought about the wedding every day. But every day Hiccup would offer rides on Toothless, or want to show him another part of the island.

And Eugene had a horrible time saying no.

            His nightmares had gone, and he was sleeping almost better than he ever had at the palace in Corona. More often than not he woke up cradled in Toothless’ wings beside Hiccup. He now had his own set of riding gear, complete with the Hairy Hooligan crest, and Hiccup had thought that maybe Eugene could finally get his own dragon.

            The perks of becoming a part of the Viking tribe were looking better than the idea of a comfortable, cushy life in a palace- even if it meant staying away from Rapunzel.

That thought.

Eugene’s heart would squeeze when he thought of leaving his love for his newfound freedom and fun. But he was realizing that a life in one place was not what he wanted. Hiccup was offering a solid base of operations, but the freedom to travel; the promise of adventure.

If only there was a way to have both his love, and his freedom. There was no way he would ask Rapunzel to drop her responsibilities as the Princess; not to mention leave her new-found family, just so they could be together. That was selfish. And dragons in Corona could be more problematic than it was worth, so having a port for the Vikings there wouldn’t work either.

Eugene sighed. He plucked at a few strands of long grass beside his knee. They had been flying for a good part of the morning and had decided to take a break and view the land from a regular point of view. Toothless was not far away, rolling this way and that in the grass. Hiccup stood nearby, a frown slowly crossing his face. As Eugene looked at him, he noticed Hiccup shake his head and replace his frown with a smile.

Hiccup walked over to Eugene and sat down.

“What’s on your mind Flynn?”

Eugene shrugged his shoulders.

“Come on. Talk.”

Eugene smiled and let out a light chuckle. It seemed odd; the two had barely known each other a week, and yet they were as close as childhood friends. It amazed Eugene how short a time it took for him to let the Viking in to his mind, and even more so, his heart.

“Thinking about her?”

Eugene nodded. He was worried about Rapunzel-this much was true. He knew she wouldn’t leave Corona no matter how worried she was. But he was worried about the worry he was causing her. There would be no making up for this.

Hiccup’s face darkened momentarily. “You wrote to her, right?”

Eugene nodded. On his second day on Berk, he had been told to write a letter to Rapunzel explaining what had happened. He had, eagerly. But the dragon that had left for Corona had not yet arrived back at Berk.

“Do you want to go back?”

Eugene’s heart dropped at the hint of venom in Hiccup’s voice. While it was true that it was the responsible thing to do, it was not what Eugene wanted. And from the sound in Hiccup’s voice, it wasn’t what the boy wanted either.

Eugene shook his head and leaned back, falling into the grass and looking up at the bright, clear blue sky. It was endless. Eugene reached a hand out as if to touch the whisps of pure white clouds floating lazily in the canvas of blue.

“Do you want me to go back?” Eugene asked lightly, feeling his heart and throat squeeze tighter as he asked. The idea of leaving Berk- leaving Hiccup, was one that he never wanted to have. He dropped his hand; the attempt at grabbing the sky a failure.

Hiccup laid down beside Eugene, his hands folded tightly on his chest. It was quiet for a moment before Hiccup responded quietly, “No. That isn’t what I want.”

Eugene turned his head to look at the brunette beside him. Hiccup’s jaw was clenched as he stared up into the endless blue sky.

“What do you want?” Eugene prodded lightly, hoping to find out what had gotten into his friend.

Hiccup sighed and turned his green orbs to meet Eugene’s chocolate ones. Eugene could see the conflict in his eyes. Hiccup said nothing as he loosened his hands and let them fall to his sides. They stared at each other for a few minutes in complete silence.

Hiccup sighed again and grasped at Eugene’s left hand. He entwined his fingers with the taller man’s and smiled slightly. Eugene was confused at the sudden intimate touch, but decided to let Hiccup go at his own pace. He knew the Viking would tell him-eventually. He squeezed Hiccup’s hand in encouragement, and held tightly to the warm fingers between his own. He would not let go.

“I want you to stay in Berk. With me.” Hiccup blushed and looked away, trying to untangle his fingers from Eugene’s hand. When he was unsuccessful, he looked back to the brown eyes that were staring directly into him.

“Hiccup-”

“I know you are supposed to get married, and go back to Corona. Honestly, I’m jealous of her. I know I shouldn’t be even doing this, but I am.” He tried to wriggle his fingers free once more, another attempt ending in failure. Giving up, Hiccup sighed and sat up, turning his back to Eugene.

“The thing is Flynn,” he started, picking at the grass with his free hand, “ever since you came here, I’ve felt you should stay.”

Eugene blinked and sat up, loosening his hand’s grip on Hiccup’s.

“What do you mean? Like, become a Viking?”

“Well, sort of, I guess.”

“Explain, Hiccup.”

Hiccup wrenched his fingers from Eugene’s loosened grip. He kept his back turned, and wrapped his arms around his knees. Hiccup looked so vulnerable, and so afraid, Eugene’s heart skipped a beat.

“I’ve been different since the day I was born. I was an outsider for a long time. But even though I’ve been accepted now, I still feel isolated. Toothless helps, but when I met you, and brought you here, it was because I don’t feel isolated with you. I’m not so alone.”

Eugene’s heart began to beat faster.

Here was this boy, who had two parents that loved him, a dragon who protected him and friends to support him- and he felt alone. Eugene had always _been_ alone. And he felt about Hiccup the same way the boy thought of him.

“I don’t want you to go back to Corona, because then I might not see you again, and it would just be me and Toothless again. That’s not a bad thing though.” Hiccup said hurriedly as Toothless turned his narrowed yellow-green eyes at Hiccup. “It’s just, you can actually talk to me. He doesn’t speak like a human can.”

“That’s not all of it, is it Hiccup?”

Hiccup shook his head.

“What else?”

“It’s better you don’t know.”

“Hiccup…”

Eugene placed a hand on Hiccup’s hunched shoulder.

“Come on. Out with it.”

Silence hung over the field and a single cloud dashed across the sun, obscuring some of the light.

Hiccup sighed. “I guess you should know, since you’ll probably find out anyway…”

Hiccup turned and faced Eugene, his green eyes shining with fear and determination. It was a terrifying look for the boy, but it made Eugene’s heart beat that much faster. What was happening to him? This wasn’t just a normal excited heartbeat. This was something more.

“Flynn, ever since that first night we stayed up talking…”

 _Bump-thump. Bump-thump._ Eugene’s heart rate began to pick up as his mind tried to frantically figure out why.

“I’ve had this feeling…”

_Bump-thump, bump-thump, bump-thump._

“I like you…”

_Bump-thump-bump-thump-bump-thump-bump-thump._

Toothless’ head was raised as he watched the two boys with increasing interest. Hiccup looked away from Eugene in embarrassment as he whispered:

“More than a friend.”


End file.
